Dear Sonni, you are actually not allowed to leave the house - even stricter than in Germany - and as you could see on Instagram, you have the sea right "in front of your nose" and can't train there. Is that right?
I'm currently on Fuerteventura. We've been under curfew here for about three weeks and we're only allowed out to go shopping. The priority now is to get the whole situation back into balance and ensure that the people at risk remain protected... Of course, having the sea "in front of your nose" doesn't make it easy, especially when there are waves. But honestly, it's a pure luxury, and in this situation you realise it even more. Even just looking out to sea gives me a feeling of freedom and connection with the whole world.
How difficult is it for you?
It's very difficult for me. Being locked up as a very free person all of a sudden - not being able to go out - not being able to spontaneously jump on my raceboard and just paddle out to sea... But I'm not the only one feeling this way, many people are locked up in small flats and don't even have the opportunity to get out into the fresh air. So now you have to be patient and try to make the best of this situation/time and also help other people to get through this time well.
What does your day look like now, how do you keep yourself physically and mentally fit?
I try to stick to my routine. I can recommend this to everyone in this situation. Exercise every day, eat healthily and drink lots of water or tea. Mentally, it's important for me not to let watching too much news drive me crazy. It's important to stay informed, but once or at most twice a day is enough. Otherwise, I generally try to have a good time, keep in touch with my family and the people who are important to me, paint, do my emails and paperwork, learn something new. I'm currently trying to learn French ;) . And also just making time for things like baking a banana nut loaf - I never find time for that otherwise ;) .
A lot of races have been cancelled, you don't know when it's going to start again, is that a particular mental challenge?
As a professional athlete, it is of course a huge challenge to stay mentally and physically on point so that you are ready at the right time. It's a very interesting situation because you also realise what's really important to you. I feel particularly good when I maintain my basic physical fitness and realise that I feel even stronger with specific strength training. At the moment, though, I'm just looking forward to my first paddle or surf session!
Have fun. Laughter is super important!
Do you have a favourite exercise on land that you can recommend to readers?
I ride my stationary bike a lot, do mobility exercises but also strength training. And I also like to come up with spontaneous ideas, such as standing on a balance cushion with my SUP wave board :-) - Having fun, laughing is super important!
star-board-sup.de
Stephan Gölnitz
Deputy Editor in Chief surf
